The History of Pencils, Markers, Pens, and Erasers

Ever wonder how your favorite writing implement was invented? Read on to learn about the history of pencils, erasers, sharpeners, markers, highlighters and gel pens and see who invented and patented these writing instruments. Pencil History Graphite is a form of carbon, first discovered in the Seathwaite Valley on the side of the mountain Seathwaite Fell in Borrowdale, near Keswick, England, sometime around 1564 by an unknown person. Shortly after this, the first pencils were made in the same area. The breakthrough in pencil technology came when French chemist Nicolas Conte developed and patented the process used to make pencils in 1795. He used a mixture of clay and graphite that was fired before it was put in a wooden case. The pencils he made were cylindrical with a slot. The square lead was glued into the slot, and a thin strip of wood was used to fill the rest of the slot. Pencils got their name from the old English word meaning brush. Contes method of kiln firing powdered graphite and clay allowed pencils to be made to any hardness or softness — which was very important to artists and draftsmen. In 1861, Eberhard Faber built the first pencil factory in the United States in New York City. Eraser History Charles Marie de la Condamine, a French scientist and explorer, was the first European to bring back the natural substance called India rubber. He brought a sample to the Institute de France in Paris in 1736. South American Indian tribes used rubber to making bouncing playing balls and as an adhesive for attaching feathers and other objects to their bodies. In 1770, the noted scientist Sir Joseph Priestley (discoverer of oxygen) recorded the following, I have seen a substance excellently adapted to the purpose of wiping from paper the mark of black lead pencil. Europeans were rubbing out pencil marks with the small cubes of rubber, the substance that Condamine had brought to Europe from South America. They called their erasers peaux de negres. However, rubber was not an easy substance to work with because it went bad very easily — just like food, rubber would rot. English engineer Edward Naime is also credited with the creation of the first eraser in 1770. Before rubber, breadcrumbs had been used to erase pencil marks. Naime claims he accidentally picked up a piece of rubber instead of his lump of bread and discovered the possibilities. He went on to sell the new rubbing out devices, or rubbers. In 1839, Charles Goodyear discovered a way to cure rubber and make it a lasting and useable material. He called his process vulcanization, after Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. Goodyear patented his process in 1844. With the better rubber available, erasers became quite common. The first patent for attaching an eraser to a pencil was issued in 1858 to a man from Philadelphia named Hyman Lipman. This patent was later held to be invalid because it was merely the combination of two things, without a new use. History of the Pencil Sharpener At first, penknives were used to sharpen pencils. They got their name from the fact that they were first used to shape feather quills used as early pens. In 1828, French mathematician Bernard Lassimone applied for a patent (French patent #2444) on an invention to sharpen pencils. However, it was not until 1847 that Therry des Estwaux first invented the manual pencil sharpener as we know it. John Lee Love of Fall River, Massachusetts designed the Love Sharpener. Loves invention was the very simple, portable pencil sharpener that many artists use. The pencil is put into the opening of the sharpener and rotated by hand, and the shavings stay inside the sharpener. Loves sharpener was patented on November 23, 1897 (U.S. Patent # 594,114). Four years earlier, Love created and patented his first invention, the Plasterers Hawk. This device, which is still used today, is a flat square piece of board made of wood or metal, upon which plaster or mortar was placed and then spread by plasterers or masons. This was patented on July 9, 1895. One source claims that the Hammacher Schlemmer Company of New York offered the worlds first electric pencil sharpener designed by Raymond Loewy, sometime in the early 1940s. History of Markers and Highlighters The first marker was probably the felt tip marker, created in the 1940s. It was mainly used for labeling and artistic applications. In 1952, Sidney Rosenthal began marketing his Magic Marker which consisted of a glass bottle that held ink and a wool felt wick. By 1958, marker use was becoming common, and people used it for lettering, labeling, marking packages, and creating posters. Highlighters and fine-line markers were first seen in the 1970s. Permanent markers also became available around this time. Superfine-points and dry erase markers gained popularity in the 1990s. The modern fiber tip pen was invented by Yukio Horie of the Tokyo Stationery Company, Japan in 1962. The Avery Dennison Corporation trademarked Hi-Liter ® and Marks-A-Lot ® in the early 90s. The Hi-Liter ® pen, commonly known as a highlighter, is a marking pen which overlays a printed word with a transparent color, leaving it legible and emphasized. In 1991 Binney Smith introduced a redesigned Magic Marker line that included highlighters and permanent markers.  In 1996, fine point Magic Marker II DryErase markers were introduced for detailed writing and drawing on  whiteboards, dry erase boards, and glass surfaces. Gel Pens Gel Pens were invented by the Sakura Color Products Corp. (Osaka, Japan), which makes Gelly Roll pens and was the company that invented gel ink in 1984. The gel ink uses pigments suspended in a water-soluble polymer matrix. They are not transparent like conventional inks, according to Debra A. Schwartz. According to Sakura, Years of research resulted in the 1982 introduction of Pigma ®, the first water-based pigment ink ... Sakuras revolutionary Pigma inks evolved to become the first Gel Ink Rollerball launched as the Gelly Roll pen in 1984. Sakura also invented a new drawing material which combined oil and pigment. CRAY-PAS ®, the first oil pastel, was introduced in 1925.

Facing Past and Present Essay - 789 Words

â€Å"It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime† (Hosseini 52). Khaled Hosseini’s historical fiction novel, The Kite Runner, is a difficult adventure in Afghanistan about a boy and his friends childhood who made them who the adults they grew up to be. The adventure shows how Amir, the protagonist in the story, faces and endures rough times in his childhood, and how he wants to redeem himself from his past mistakes. Khaled Hosseini has a unique writing style in the first person point of view of Amir, which shows the rough journeys he experiences, and how he is motivated to please his father, which sets the theme of love of father and son, facing the past, and†¦show more content†¦Later on in the book, the time period changes to June of 2001. One of Amir’s friends wants to see him in Pakistan. Amir feels that he changed and wants to be his old self again. His friend, Rahim Khan gives him faith. â€Å"Come, there is a way to be good again† (Hosseini 192). When Amir lands in Pakistan, people are talking about how bad Afghanistan is. He will never forget the sights he saw of children smoking, drinking, and selling illegal things. â€Å"The Afghan town has the stench of rot, garbage, and feces† (Hosseini 196). In chapter sixteen through twenty, the author foreshadows Hassan’s death. Hassan does not celebrate when the other villagers are joyful. â€Å"God help the Hazaras now† (Hosseini 213). Hassan’s death impacts Amir greatly. Amir feels that he lost one of his best friends forever, but also feels guilty for wrongdoing him, and not apologizing for his ruthless behavior. In the end of the book, Amir does not receive the closure he would have liked to receive with his friends. He feels that he had not redeemed himself. 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And although when looking back at the past the majorityRead MoreCorrections Trend873 Words   |  4 PagesUOP Corrections Trend Evaluation In this paper the objectives that will be addressed are past, present and future trends of corrections. Also, analyze current and future issues facing prisons and prison administrators as well as the roles and issues of alternate correction systems as a developing trend. In today’s society the jails and prison pretty much function with the same protocol. In the past the history of the State prisons began at the Walnut Street Jail in 1790, it was the actuallyRead MoreSummary Of The American Family By Stephanie Coontz908 Words   |  4 Pagesis a gift. That’s why it’s called the present†, by Alice Morse Earle. The world has become a place taken for granted. Humans are beginning to wish they could live in the past, while others just want to skip over to the future but what ever happened to living right now? Or living in the moment? 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Probation Officer free essay sample

This paper will give some insight on the functional job analysis for the job of an investigative analyst. It will discuss the ways in which a functional job analysis can be used in an organization. This paper will also evaluate the various performance assessment methods and how they can be useful to the position of an investigative analyst. This paper will conclude with the explanation of various benefits and weaknesses of each of the methods of performance assessment regarding the position of an investigative analyst. Investigative Analyst: Functional Job Analysis. Investigative analyst are employed by various departments and organizations and take on many different roles, although the position of investigative analyst is primarily used for research of different types. In the event where an investigative analyst is hired for the services of a child support department the investigative analyst can make the determination whether or not a child support case requires a full criminal investigation, looking into the background and financial history of the delinquent party who is to pay the child support, and usually assists in the prosecution of that party. Investigative analysts who are used in an organization such as health insurance, health service investigative matters, fraud, or abusing medical resources. Investigative analyst can be used if a criminal investigation is needed in order to decrease the medical costs. Investigative analysts are also used in business sectors in retail settings in loss prevention in order to lower company costs in company inventory and make sure that employees are following the ethical guidelines of the organization. Some investigative  analyst only conducts internal investigation which sometimes may require occasionally leaving the officer for meetings. Other investigative analyst spend majority of their time outside of the office in order to conduct interviews and surveillance. On occasion, some investigative analysts have to confront individuals who may become irate or are in danger. Requirements for being an investigative analyst can differ depending on the position. For a investigative analyst a candidate must satisfy certain requirements. A candidate must have successfully completer post-secondary education in Criminal Justice, Law, Accounting, Computer Science, or Health Administration depending on the investigative purpose of the analyst. In some positions, previous experience dealing with an investigation field, which may be police work. Some forms of investigation require a significant amount of computer knowledge in order to be able to find information of the computer or over the internet. Investigative analysts usually need to operate in an independent manner and should be very detail oriented. Skills that one should posses in this position are analytical skills, organizational skills, and communication skills. Flexibility is also a key component because flexibility can be unpredictable. The selection process that is used for an investigative analysis is important. Making observations during the interview process and looking into an individual’s backgrounds is very important. Through the functional job evaluation, observing through interviews helps to assist in setting recommendations for the outline of the job. Job analysis is an essential part of I/O psychology. Analyzing a job involves determining what tasks a job is composed of, and what abilities are necessary to successfully carry out tasks in the position of investigative analysts. The results from a job analysis can be used for a variety of personnel management purposes but are more important for the decisions regarding selection of employees, or promotions. Job analysis is assumed before selection and promotional testing in the efforts to determine the attributes which qualify an individual for a specific position. The aspects that are recognized in the job analysis serve as the criteria for assessments used in the selection or promotion of employees. Functional job evaluation is a technique which is most helpful in gaining the most qualified candidates. This method can also assists various people who are not as well suited for the job or who needs to make improvements in certain areas. The evaluation techniques that are good practices for the companies and workers when a worker is employed by the Ohio Investigative Unit which has investigators who operate in Akron, Athens, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo. The Ohio Investigative Unit is the only state law enforcement in the state of Ohio who is solely dedicated to preventing and detecting illegal use of food stamp benefits. Investigators must work undercover and adept to playing any role that allows them to blend in with the clientele who is under investigation. In Ohio, Investigative unit agents must be certified with the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission. Agents are required to carry out forty hours of exams and lessons in order to maintain the position they are in. Promotions and rewards are given to those employees who are able to carry out investigative tasks, work under strenuous conditions and who are able to get the information that is asked of them without being detected. Fundamentally, for parole/probation placements to be useful the company should have a system that is valid and dependable. Functional job evaluation can be time consuming and costly but the task of probation and parole officials needs staff that is highly trained The Reliability and Validity of Functional Job Analysis staff who have extensive coaching, useful knowledge, and a wide range of skills. The dependability of functional job evaluation associates with the credibility of functional job valuation as well. In case dependability has got a higher mean, this will assist support the credibility of the job evaluation. Studies indicate job analysis rankings are fairly dependable (Spector, 2012). The credibility is dependent on evaluating various ways or sources of information. The credibility defines the possibility and the usefulness of functional job evaluation. Benefits and Vulnerabilities of Performance Appraisal Methods Evaluation techniques have its advantages but there are also vulnerabilities and conflicts that take place also. The company and its employees are essential on evaluation techniques but what is most important is ensuring the workers have the coaching and support to fulfill requirements necessary for growth and the growth of the company. Management decisions in rewards and expectations utilize information that is obtained by I/O psychiatrists in assisting with making suggestions for rewards and also punishment for those  who violate (Spector, 2012). The drawbacks of weaknesses in the period of time and effort that s required to keep an eye on workers and the performances of their jobs. The requirements necessary for developing various methods assists in reducing the expenses in the event that the methods are useful. This would help in decreasing workers injuries, tardiness, and call-offs. Regrettably, the drawbacks or weakness is the period of time and effort required to keep an eye on workers and job performances. An excellent reward method replaces the expenses most companies acquire while keeping an excellent work environment which offers rewards for good performance. Performance evaluation techniques are performance data that assists management in making decisions, worker growth, suggestions, and researching the effectiveness of organizational practices. Conclusion The ideas of jobs analyses are utilized by companies who have various sizes, people, as well as various professions. The reason for the job evaluation is to examine if the job best suited for a qualified applicant. Some other reasons may include management decisions, worker feedback and growth, and criteria for research. Companies who employ these techniques have taken into consideration the dependability and credibility of job evaluation. Dependable sources may be timely and costly but, they are worth having for the company since the objective is to increase, reward, and maintain worker efficiency at high levels. Probation officials have a tough job and work in an atmosphere which supports its employees properly is necessary for worker efficiency and preparedness. Working for a company which cared for the well-being and the correct training of all workers promotes excellent performance and is part of a complicated system which is studied and created by I/O psychiatrists. This paper has conducted a functional job analysis for the job of a probation officer. It has also evaluated the reliability and validity of a functional job analysis of a probation officer. It has also assessed the various performance appraisal methods that can be applied to a probation officer. This paper concluded by giving explanation to the various benefits and vulnerabilities of every performance appraisal method.

Role of Parents Towards Their Children in a Society That Does Not Help in Raising Children Properly free essay sample

bismiAllah hir Rahman nir Raheem Role of parents towards their children in a society that does not help in raising children properly A very common problem seen in youth in western countries is that their parents allow them to indulge in some form of haram in the hope that that will stop them from committing worse haram. An example of this is that parents will say that they allow their children to indulge in music in the hope that that will stop them from going out with bad people or leaving their home all together. Parents are afraid that if they enforce the law of Allah in their homes, that their children will leave. What is Islam’s position on this sort of compromise? Some parents also say that they only have the duty to tell their children something is haram, and then their children have to choose for themselves because they are already young adults (i. We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Parents Towards Their Children in a Society That Does Not Help in Raising Children Properly or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page e. 13 -18 yrs old and unmarried, living at home). Don’t the parents have to forbid haram by all means, or do they just say that is haram and then leave them be? To what extent do parents have to go to forbid their children from haram? Parents also believe that once their children reach the age of puberty they are no longer responsible for their sins or actions, and so say they will have no sin if they advise their children something is haram and then leave them. Is this true? Or do parents always have the responsibility of forbidding their children from haram, and will they be responsible if they see their children doing haram and just leave them after advising them?. Praise be to Allaah. Firstly: The success or failure of the Muslim in raising his children depends on a variety of factors, which undoubtedly includes the environment in which they live, which plays a major role in the success or failure of that upbringing. Please see the answer to question no. 52893. Secondly: The parents have to understand that Allaah has given them responsibility over their children, and they have to fulfil the trust as Allaah has enjoined in the Qur’aan. The Sunnah also confirms this command in many saheeh ahaadeeth. The texts of the Revelation also warn the one who does not look after his lock sincerely and who neglects the trust with which Allaah has entrusted him. It was narrated that Ma’qil ibn Yasaar al-Muzani said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: â€Å"There is no person whom Allaah puts in charge of others, and when he dies he is insincere to his subjects, but Allaah will forbid Paradise to him. † According to anothe r report: â€Å"†¦ and he is insincere towards them, but he will not smell the fragrance of Paradise. † Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6731) and Muslim (142). See the answer to question no. 20064. Thirdly: Allaah has enjoined those who are in charge of children to raise them from when they are very small to obey Allaah and love Islam. Even though they are not accountable because they have not reached puberty, one should not wait until puberty to teach them, guide them and tell them to obey Allaah, because in most cases at that age (i. e. puberty) they will not respond unless they have been brought up in this manner and have learned it from their families since a young age. Hence parents are enjoined to teach young children how to pray from the age of seven and to smack them if they do not pray when they are ten. The Sahaabah used to make their young children fast, so as to get them used to loving Islam and its rituals, so that it would be easy for them to follow its commands and keep away from the things it forbids when they grow up. It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: â€Å"Teach your children to pray when they are seven years old, and smack them if they do not do so when they are ten, and separate them in their beds. † Abu Dawood (495), classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. It was narrated that al-Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwidh ibn ‘Afra’ said: On the morning of ‘Ashoora’, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent word to the villages of the Ansaar around Madeenah, saying: â€Å"Whoever started the day fasting, let him complete his fast, and whoever started the day not fasting, let him complete the rest of the day (without food). † After that, we used to fast on this day, and we would make our children fast too, even the little ones in sha Allaah. We would make them toys out of wool, and if one of them cried for food, we would give (that toy) to him until it was time to break the fast. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1960) and Muslim (1136). Just as they raise them to do acts of worship, they should also prevent them from doing haraam things. If the child does an act of worship, the reward will be for him and for the one who taught him and encouraged him to do it. As for doing acts of disobedience or sins, the minor does not sin, rather the one who enabled him to do it and left the door open for him to do it and did not close it, is sinning. As for the one who tells him to do it, he is like the one who did it. Hence it is not something extreme at all if a Muslim raises his children to obey Allaah and prevents them from doing haraam things, such as males wearing gold or silk, or females wearing male clothing, or lying, stealing, swearing and other sins. Similarly, it is not something extreme if a Muslim raises his daughter to be modest and chaste and not to mix, because if a person gets used to something when he is young, there is the fear that he may persist in it. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Even though the child is not accountable, his guardian is, and it is not permissible for him to enable him to do something haraam, for he will get used to it and it will be difficult to wean him from it. Tuhfat al-Mawdood bi Ahkaam al-Mawlood (p. 162). And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The one who neglects to teach his child that which will benefit him and leaves him with no care has done a very bad deed. The corruption of most children is due to their parents and their neglect of (their children), because they neglect to teach them the obligations and Sunnahs of Islam. So they neglected them when they were small, and (the children) turned out unable to benefit themselves or to benefit their parents when they are old. Tuhfat al-Mawdood, p. 229 The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked: With regard to my small children, should I teach them the etiquette of Islam and make the young girls wear Islamic clothes, or this regarded as extremism? If my doing this is correct, what is the evidence for it from the Qur’aan and Sunnah? They replied: What you have mentioned about making girls wear loose and concealing clothing and making them get used to that from a young age is not extremism, rather you are doing the right thing in giving them an Islamic upbringing. Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan. Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (25/285, 286). In his book Majmoo’ah As’ilah Tuhimm al-Usrah al-Muslimah, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The scholars say that it is haraam to dress a child in clothes that it is haraam for an adult to wear. Clothing on which there are images is haraam for an adult to wear, so it is also haraam for a child to wear it. What the Muslims should do is to boycott such clothes and shoes so that those who want to spread evil and corruption will not be able to reach us by these means. If they are boycotted they will never find a way to make them reach this land. After that, he was asked: Is it permissible for male children to wear things that are only for females, such as gold and silk, etc, and vice versa? He replied: This is to be understood from the first answer. I said that the scholars say that it is haraam to dress a child in clothes that it is haraam for an adult to wear. Based on this, it is haraam to dress male children in that which is only for females, and vice versa. After that, he was asked: Does this include isbaal or making clothes come below the ankles for male children? He replied: Yes, it includes that. End quote. And Allaah knows best. http://www. islam-qa. com/en/ref/103526 Praise be to Allaah. There is no greater calamity than that which befalls one’s religious commitment. That is true calamity. We ask Allaah to keep us safe from it. Nothing is more precious to a person – after his own self – than his child. Children are the apples of our eyes. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): â€Å"And those who say: ‘Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders of the Muttaqoon (the pious)’† [al-Furqaan 25:74] But the heart cannot find true joy except through righteous offspring. Al-Hasan al-Basri said: â€Å"This joy means seeing one’s wife, brother and close friend obeying Allaah. Tuhfat al-Mawdood by Ibn al-Qayyim, p. 424. Undoubtedly the most important thing that is asked of parents is to protect their children and take care of them, to bring them up to worship and obey Allaah and to keep them away from disobeying Him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): â€Å"O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) †¦Ã¢â‚¬  [al-Tahreem 66: 6] Mujaahid and others of the salaf said: Advise your families to fear Allaah and discipline them. Qataadah said: Tell them to obey Allaah and forbid them to disobey Him. In al-Saheehayn it is narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: â€Å"Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock. The ruler who is in charge of the people is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. A man is the shepherd of his family and is responsible for his flock. A woman is the shepherd of her husband’s household and is responsible for her flock. A servant is the shepherd of his master’s wealth and is responsible for his flock. Each of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. † Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2554; Muslim, 1829. This hadeeth indicates that the one who is accountable will be brought to account for any shortcomings in those who are under his authority and under his care. The hadeeth states that parents are included in the general principle: â€Å"A man is the shepherd of his family and is responsible for his flock. A woman is the shepherd of her husband’s household and is responsible for her flock. So the parents are responsible for their children, because they have been commanded to strive to protect them from the Fire and to follow the commands of Allaah and to avoid the things that He has forbidden. If the parents do that which has been enjoined upon them, namely giving the children a sound upbringing and not falling short in that, then there is no sin on them if their children go astray. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): â€Å"and no bearer of burdens shall b ear the burden of another† [al-An’aam 6:164] If a person understands Islam clearly and has an ounce of common sense, he will understand that if he neglects his duty of guiding and teaching his children, then he is responsible for any deviation that they fall into. The responsibility of families who live in the west towards their children is of another kind that is even greater than that, because they are responsible for throwing the apple of their eyes into the sea bound and tied. It is even worse than that, it is the Fire and torment of Allaah. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound. In the case of your son, and many others, you should have closed the door to temptation before things got out of control. In Islam there is no such thing as friendship between a man and a woman who is not his mahram, especially at this dangerous stage of your son’s life. But the important question now is: what to do about it? You and his father have to act quickly to get your son away from these sinful relationships and cut off all ties with non-mahram women, even if you know that these relationships have not reached the level of zina. As we have stated, these relationships are not allowed in Islam in principle. One of the most important means of getting him away from these haraam relationships may be to protect him by means of marriage. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: â€Å"O young men, whoever among you can afford to get married, let him do so, and whoever cannot, let him fast, for it will be shield for him. † Agreed upon. What is meant by it being a shield is that it will protect him from falling into sin. But you know that keeping young men away from such haraam relationships is no easy matter; it may be almost impossible in the country in which you are living, because the western environment in which the hearts and minds of this generation have grown up is completely contaminated with every kind of temptation and whims and desires, temptations which surround the second and third generations of Muslims there, generations which are losing touch, day after day, with the symbols and laws of Islam, and imbibing instead the values and attitudes of the west, until there is nothing left but the â€Å"blessing† of their background? I ask you again: Are you serious about following the command of Allaah, and do you really fear betraying the trust towards your own soul first of all, then towards your offspring? Do you have the desire to set things straight? Do you have any motive to sacrifice the worldly pleasures and comforts of the west and bring your children back to your own land, or go to a place where your religious commitment will be safer, before it is too late and death comes when you are in this state, then one may say: â€Å"‘My Lord! Send me back, so that I may do good in that which I have left behind! ’ No! It is but a word that he speaks; and behind them is Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when they will be resurrected† [al-Mu’minoon 23:99-100]; before we see the outcome of our deeds, i. e. , the consequences: â€Å"On the Day the event is finally fulfilled (i. e. the Day of Resurrection), those who neglected it before will say: ‘Verily, the Messengers of our Lord did come with the truth, now are there any intercessors for us that they might intercede on our behalf? Or could we be sent back (to the first life of the world) so that we might do (good) deeds other than those (evil) deeds which we used to do? ’ Verily, they have lost their ownselves (i. e. destroyed themselves) and that which they used to fabricate (invoking and worshipping others besides Allaah) has gone away from them† [al-A’raaf 7:99]. Or does this responsibility not deserve such a sacrifice? You may say that most of the Muslim lands nowadays are filled with temptations and evils, so we will never find the right atmosphere to raise our children in an Islamic way, so what would be the point of making this move? The answer is: Yes, you are right to a great extent, but even if we cannot achieve all the good things, we should do as much as we can; if we cannot ward off all evils we should ward off as much as we can; and some evils are less serious than others. All that is needed is to be sincere with oneself. Allaah has indeed spoken the truth: â€Å"Nay! Man will be a witness against himself, 15. Though he may put forth his excuses (to cover his evil deeds)† [al-Qiyaamah 75:14-15] May Allaah help us and you to do that which He loves and which pleases Him.